I Forgot To Tell You
by aqua711marine
Summary: On a long night in high school, Miley loses everything. But she can't stop remembering that awful night and all the people it hurt. So she decides to write everyone that was there a letter.
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you like this story. It's basically just going to be miley writing letters to people. Mostly nick. :-) tell me what you think.**

**Please Review.**

_Dear Nick,_

_Hi. It's me, Miley. You know you're old next door neighbor? Yeah. That's me._

_So you're probably wondering why I'm writing you this letter, right? I mean we never talked much when you still lived here, except maybe once or twice. And that time on my 13__th__ birthday where you…never mind. Anyways, There's something I never really got to tell you, that I want to tell you now._

_I love you._

_There. I said it. I loved you when you were here, I love you even now that your gone, and I haven't stopped loving you. I mean, I've learned to move on…kind of…but I love you. And I always will love you. _

_I really just had to get that off my chest. You have no idea how long it's been since I had a decent night sleep. I couldn't get this off my mind._

_But every time I think about how much I loved you, I remember all the ways you hurt me. All the times I cried. And the worst memory of all. When you asked one of my best friends out. _

_I remember the year you were my Science partner. In the 6__th__ grade. We were in lab, and I remember getting so flustered around you that I tipped a test tube of smelly blue chemical into a beaker of bubbling green chemical. And kaboom! It exploded all over your face and the front of your shirt. Which you informed me was brand new right before you were whisked off to the nurse's office to see if the explosion had burned you or got in your eye in any way._

_Let's just say that was the most HUMILITATING moment of my life. And I'm really, really sorry I ruined your shirt._

_But it wasn't really so much about that that I'm getting at. It was later that day, when I was at my locker getting my stuff for class and your friends came up. They laughed at me and called me names- ever wonder why everyone always called me Toxic? It was because your friends told them to call me that because of the Science lab explosion –and they shoved me into a locker. But the worst thing of all is that I saw you walk by across the hall. And you didn't glance over once. And even if you had, sometimes I wonder if you would have actually stopped to help me._

_I'm not saying you were mean. Your friends sure were. But not you. You treated me better than half the student body._

_I'm sorry if I'm bringing back memories about what happened that night in high school. But I really needed to tell you what I didn't tell you while you were here. _

_Hey! Maybe I'll write you again. After all, there's a few things that I still haven't told you, that I need to inform you of. But that'll have to wait for my next letter. And I really hope you read this whole letter. But you don't have to write back if you don't want. I just want you to know what you meant to me while you were here._

_Write you again soon._

_Love,_

_Miley_


	2. Chapter 2

**Another letter another chapter.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Aka Mikayla is Selena.**

_Dear Mikayla, _

_Hi. It's Miley. Remember? Your ex-best friend? _

_It feels really weird writing to you. I haven't seen you since high school. And the last time I talked to you, you were screaming at me. Do you remember that?_

_Do you still hate me? Did you ever forgive me? Or did you just stop thinking about me?_

_I think I tried to make it your fault for a long time. But you know, both of us were wrong. We shouldn't have done what we did._

_Look what came out of it. Nothing good, right? And to think about what happened later that night._

_Oh my God, now I'm crying. Am I bringing back memories to you? Are you crying too?_

_I remember exactly what Nick's face looked like when he saw you on top of Dave Terrino. And it's something I've never been able to get out of my head._

_The way his face crumpled and looked absolutely destroyed was once of the saddest, most emotional things I have ever witnessed in my life._

_Why weren't you satisfied with Nick? He was the perfect guy. And here's something I never told you- I was in love with him. But I didn't do anything about it-well until that night-because I knew it would hurt you._

_And I'm sorry I did what I did. Because of it, I lost you as one of my friends._

_Do you remember when they called us about Sonny? I remember those exact words they said to us. A day doesn't go by where I don't hear that officer's voice echoing in my head._

_Do you remember how we cried together? Even though we were so mad at each other?_

_And we both felt horrible. Sonny had been driving over to come try to get us to apologize to each other._

_And then their was a car crash. And a phone call._

_And we both had lost everything._

_I rememeber Sonny's funeral vividly too. Do you? Our whole class was there. And everyone was staring at us the whole time. I remember everyone cried. Nick cried. I cried. You cried. The teacher cried._

_I couldn't believe she was gone. I still can't believe it._

_And if I could redo one thing in my life, I would redo that night. Because if I had done things differently, maybe Sonny wouldn't be dead right now. Maybe she wouldn't have died while she was only 17. _

_I'm sorry for making you remember that night. But I couldn't get it off my mind. You don't have to respond. But I hope you read this letter._

_And I'm sorry for all the pain I put you through._

_I wish we could still be friends. Then maybe this wouldn't be so hard._

_Write you again soon._

_Love, your friend,_

_Miley_

**That was so sad to write. But that's okay because NOBODY read it! WHY DON'T YOU LIKE MY STORY!!!**

**Please Review.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Nick,_

_Hi. It's me again. So you didn't write back. Well, that's okay. I mean, I guess I was kind of hoping you would, but you don't have to. I'm sure you're still mad at me. Anyways, I was thinking about that night again. I hate to make you remember it even more, but I have to. So you are going to have to be strong._

_Mikayla was really nice. And she was beautiful. But…did you ever really love her? Whenever I saw you with her, you always looked so…absent. Like something was missing. I know you liked her Nick, but, was it real? When she opened the door and saw us, you didn't look like you cared much. That's a little harsh, I know. But it almost seemed like you wanted to stay with me in that closet. Like you didn't want to chase Mikayla down. I'm not sure what lies you told her that made her believe you, but in the end she decided it was my fault and decided she hated me. In a way it was my fault. But it was even more so yours. And you pretended I'd been some sex-crazed slut who had just jumped on top of you. You weren't thinking of anyone but yourself._

_I remember those few minutes like it was yesterday. Somehow the party had gotten crazy. I guess since you and Mikayla had become so popular, we thought we were above just dancing away our prom night downstairs. No, we were too cool for that. We were on those upper levels, just under the roof, that someone with a lot of money had paid for. I remembered feeling scared and alone. Mikayla was off being the social butterfly that she was and I was by myself. Around me, everyone was smoking and drinking beer, laced with God knows what. I was too afraid to drink any of it. _

_I remember I thought that if I hid in a closet for the rest of the night, that I'd be safe. Then, when the party was over, I could sneak out and get home safely. I opened the closet door, stepped inside of it, and shut the door behind me. _

_It was almost completely dark in the closet and I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I didn't even notice that I wasn't the only one in the closet until I heard another set of breathing._

"_Hello?" I'd called, and then you looked up startled. But then you smiled. "Oh, Miley. It's just you"_

"_Nick?", I'd said, feeling relieved and anxious at the same time._

"_Yeah, it's me. Party too much for you?" You winked at me in the dark._

_I remember being glad it was dark so that you couldn't seeme blush. "Well…Yeah, kind of. I'm not much of a party girl"._

_You grinned. "I'm not much of a party guy either". And then you turned and looked ahead of you and we were quiet again._

_The next few events happened so fast I barely knew what was happening. One minute I was just gazing at your profile, so in love with you. And then before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning forward and kissing you on the cheek. _

_As soon as I realized I what I'd done, I pulled away, and look down, cheeks burning. How humiliating. But then the next thing I know, I felt your hand on my chin and then you pulled my face up to your eye level, and then you put your lips onto mine. You kissed me. I kissed you back. And even though it felt so wrong, it also felt like the most perfect thing in the world. _

_Just as the kiss deepened, came the moment that changed all of our lives forever. The door swung open, and there was Mikayla, the smile quickly sliding over her face._

_And then her face became angry. Furious. The most mad I had ever seen on it in my life. "Nick?" she said, surprisingly calm sounding, "Miley?". _

_I swear I could see steam coming out her ears._

"_You two can go to hell!" she screamed._

_Then she stormed away._

_  
"Mikayla!" you'd yelled and chased after her. _

_When you both came back, she'd yelled at me. Her best friend. She'd picked you over me. She'd called me a slut, a bitch, told me I was only jealous. And then she'd screeched "Don't ever talk to me again!" before running away._

_You stood there in the doorway of the closet and looked at me for a long time. I felt the most betrayed I had ever felt and you had hurt and guilt in your eyes. You felt awful for what you'd done to her, and you felt even worse about what you had done to me. _

_You looked into my eyes and stared at me for a long time. I stared back, my breath in my throat. For a moment, I thought you were going to say something. Anything to break the silence. _

_But then you slammed the door shut, and once again, I was alone. But this time I had no one waiting for me._

_You probably don't know this, but after you closed that door, I sat down on the floor, and all by myself in the dark, for what seemed like ages, I cried._

_And when I was done crying, I felt empty. It's the same emptiness I've been feeling ever since that night._

_I'm so sorry, Nick. I'm so, so sorry._

_Love,_

_Miley_

_  
_**A/N: THANKS! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear Miley,_

_Hey Miley, it's Mikayla. I'm sorry it took a while for me to write back. It was just kind of a hard to decide if I should write back or not. But in the end, I figured it was only fair if I did. So here we are._

_I'm writing this from college. I don't have a ton of time to write this, and you should know that I should be studying for a biology exam right now. So if I fail, it's on you._

_Anyways, I feel like I should be mad at you, but I also feel like I should apologize to you. So I'm going to do both. First I'm gonna be mad at you. Sorry, but I have to get this off my chest._

_When you went into that closet that night, what the HELL were you thinking? He was MY boyfriend. You were my best friend. What kind of friend are you if you make out with my boyfriend? We all knew about your creepy crush on Nick. But you shouldn't have done anything about it. Just because the party was a little wild, you didn't have to go off with him. You're the one that started that whole night. Did you know, Miley, that that night practically RUINED my life? You got me and everyone at the party busted for underage drinking. I had to breathe into a breathalyzer. Do you know how humiliating that was? And then when you called Sonny and she said she was coming to get us, to patch things up, and make sure we got home safe? Oh my God, if only we'd known. If only we'd known that within five minutes she'd be speeding down the highway without a seatbelt on. Within five minutes she'd have lost control of the car and would be flipping upside down and back up again over and over. Within five minutes, she'd be laying lifeless in the shattered car, as the police pulled her from the disaster, and sending her off to the hospital even though they knew it was too late._

_We killed her, Miley. It was our fault. And I've never been able to forget that phone call either. _

_Okay, now I'm gonna apologize. I'm a hypocrite for yelling at you for hooking up with my boyfriend when I hooked up with that other guy. God, I can't even remember his name. I think you said it in your letter. Whatever. So, he wasn't your boyfriend. But I still hurt Nick. Let's face it. He was kind of an asshole. He blamed everything on you- though a lot of it was your fault—he cheated on me. And never treated me like his girlfriend. Actually…as much as I hate to say this, I think he liked you. But oh well. I guess it's a little late for that huh? So I'm sorry about that. And I'm sorry for screaming at you. But hey, what's a girl supposed to do when she opens the closet door and see's her best friend slobbering all over her boyfriend?_

_Shit, I gotta go. Talk to you soon. Or…I don't know. Never mind. Bye._

_Mikayla_

_P.S. For the record, I still think you're a total bitch._

_P.P.S. But then again, I guess I'm one too._


	5. Chapter 5

_Dear Nick,_

_Hey! So…Mikayla wrote back. I guess she still hasn't forgiven me. I'm not sure why I expected her to forgive me…but I did. Oh well._

_I feel like with you I have been writing to no one. Are you even getting my letters? Are you reading them? Or are you just throwing them out?_

_So, I think for this letter I'm going to tell you a little bit about what's going on now._

_So, currently I'm single. I had a total of one boyfriend after high school. But we both wanted to break up with each other. It was mutual. He turned out to be gay…so…that can be a sort of turn off._

_I just got out of college. I'm trying to be a journalist but right now that means sitting in a cubicle in an office linked to the newspaper…but hey, everyone starts somewhere, right?_

_I live in New York City. I live in some crappy little apartment for the time being. It was all I could afford but shelter is shelter so that's that._

_I wish I still had you and Mikayla though. Where are you at nowadays? _

_I'm sorry I'm rambling on about this…can I ask you something?_

_Do you think you can ever forgive me?_

_Love,_

_Miley_


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Nick,_

_Hey…uh, I have some news for you…I'm not sure how you're going to take it. I mean technically, you shouldn't care…unless you do…I mean…I don't care. You're probably still mad at me about everything. But I feel like I should tell you._

_Okay, so I've been working at the office for awhile now. You know that. Unless you haven't been reading my letters…but assuming you have, you should know. Anyways, there's this guy. His name is Ben and he's actually a really nice guy. He wants to be a journalist too, and he likes all the same things I do. He's really sweet and interesting and we've been talking a lot. Plus we went out to eat together on lunch break twice now. And today he asked me out on a date. An official one. We're going to dinner at a really nice restraunt that I could never afford to go to by myself. I'm so excited._

_I'm not sure why, but I felt like I had to ask you. I know that's weird. But it's true. _

_So yah, now you know. Ben asked me out. And I said yes. So…_

_This was a shorter letter then I expected. So, um, write you soon? Okay, bye._

_Sincerely,_

_Miley_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter is not a letter!!**

It was warm and cozy in the softly lit room. The light from the vanilla candles flickered and danced about the room, and gave the room a warm glow. The shadow of a long dark pointy object loomed ominously in the light. But if you looked closer, you'd realize it was only the shadow of a pencil that was sitting point up in a cup on the desk across the room.

The house would have been less cold and scary had more people lived in it. But in this particular house, there was one young man, who lived all alone. This man had a past known by few people. He grown to accept that this was his life. And then everything had changed.

This young man, was Nick. The same Nick that so many naïve girls had fell head over heels with, only to wake up one day, and find him gone.

This home was his current residence and was burrowed in the snowy folds of northern Montana.

He was alone, almost always. He'd isolated himself from the outside world, too afraid to fall back into his past. He'd sworn to forget about everything he'd done to hurt people. All the mistakes he'd make. Nick promised himself he'd never go back to those times.

But then he got the first letter.

It wasn't much. It only confirmed what he'd already known. His high school girlfriend's best friend had been very much in love with him. Nick already knew that. Everyone he'd gone to school with knew it. It wasn't any news.

But the name that closed the letter, the author of it, was one he hadn't allowed himself to say for years now. A name that try as he might to keep away, kept managing to slip inside his head and make him remember what he'd done.

_Miley._

Nick shook the thought away. He was sitting at the desk in the warm, room. Since the first letter, he'd been trying to write back to her. He'd written countless apology letters to her, only to crumple them up and throw them away.

He held the most recent letter in his hands. With one final breath, he tore it open.

This one was shorter. As he read it, he felt something hot growing inside of him.

It was anger.

Who was this Ben? What right did he have to be all over Miley? She was Nick's.

Woah. Wait. Did he just say that?

This time he couldn't shake her off his thoughts. He pulled out a piece of paper, and started writing. He kept writing and writing and writing, until two hours later it was finished and he was dropping in the mailbox, to be sent off to New York.

Nick had finally written back to Miley.


	8. Chapter 8

_Dear Miley,_

_ So um…_

_I'm really, really sorry for everything I ever did to you. You have no reason to apologize. It was my fault. And I'm sorry._

_Wow. So, uh, about this Ben…listen…I don't know this guy, but I don't think you should date him. He sounds like a jerk. Sure I never met him but, I, um, have a bad feeling about him. So yeah. Don't date him._

_Anyways, I don't really know where to go with this letter. I'm just really sorry. And I want you to know that._

_So yeah. Uh. Bye._

_Nick_


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHORS NOTE: SINCE THE LAST LETTER ALMOST A YEAR HAS PASSED. THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONSISTS OF LETTERS, DIARY ENTRYS, AND OTHER THINGS OF THAT SORT….PLEASE ENJOY!**

_October 15, 2009_

_Dear Diary,_

_ I got another letter from Nick today. With each letters he's become more and more open with me. I'm so glad he was willing to forgive me…although he insists it wasn't my fault. I know it was but I don't argue, because I don't want to ruin our new friendship._

_ Ben took me to his family's house in Rochester today, also. His mother and father are terribly nice and Ben says they like me, so I guess that's good. Although their home is rather large for only two people. But I'm getting the feeling that they're a bit wealthy. I mean, they even their very own horse farm. Down the road from the house of course, but still. (Though riding the horses was very fun! I'd almost forgotten how it felt to ride one.)_

_ I really, really like Ben. I know Nick doesn't, but Nick hasn't even ever met him. Hmm…perhaps one day they will. Wouldn't that be interesting?!_

_ Oh, I'm so tired! This was a long day! I'll write back to Nick tomorrow and tell him all about. But for now, I'm going to try to get some sleep._

_Good-night Diary!_

_Yours Truly,_

_Miley_

_~*~_

_October 19, 2009_

_Text Message Sent From Ben's Phone at 11:53 pm, October 19, 2009:_

_TO: __**KELCEY**_

_**Love you too. Goodnight 3**_

_~*~_

_October 25, 2009._

_Dear Nick,_

_ Happy Almost Halloween, my dear friend! _

_I moved into Ben's apartment yesterday. He's been very welcome and the apartment is very comfortable, although it reminds me more of a penthouse than an apartment. _

_ Ben's taking me to a Halloween party on the 31__st__. I'm excited! What do you think I should go as?_

_Alright bye!_

_Sincerely,_

_ Miley_

_~*~_

_November 1, 2009_

_Nick,_

_Something happened with me and Ben. I'm scared, but I don't think I should tell you. I don't want to make him angrier._

_Miley_

_~*~_

_November 3, 2009_

_Nick,_

_I think it's safe to tell you now._

_Ben's been drinking a lot. And he's hurting me. Bad. I have bruises and cuts all over me. Nick, I'm really really scared._

_Miley_

_~*~_

_November 10, 2009_

_N,_

_I added the address on a slip of paper into this envelope._

_M_

_~*~  
November 21, 2009_

_  
N,_

_He's going to kill me soon. It's coming, Nick, I know it is._

_M_

_~*~_

_November 26, 2009_

_Dear Nick,_

_I want you to know how much I love you, okay? I love you so, so much. _

_Love,_

_Miley_

~*~

**After the letter above, Miley abrubtly stopped writing.**

**Nick came home from work on December 3, 2009 and checked his mailbox for the first time in weeks. He hoped Miley wasn't too mad that he hadn't been able to write back for so long.**

**He opened the first letter and read it.**

**  
Then the next. Then the next. And the next. **

**With each letter Nick's eyes grew wider with panic. How could he have been so stupid not to check his own God damn mail? **

**He didn't even read the last letter. Picking it up, he shoved it in his pocked, grabbed as much money as he could find, and then hopped in the car and drove away.**

**Within an hour, Nick was on a plane heading to New York City. The letter still lay unopened in his pocket.**


	10. Chapter 10

"WHERE ARE YOU BITCH??!" Ben's sharp voice rung out in the apartment.

Shaking, Miley slid farther into the darkness in the closet and smothered herself with more coats. Ben had come home in a hazy drunken rage again and Miley had been forced to take refuge in the coat closet.

But of course, it wasn't really a refuge when she wasn't safe. Miley held her hands clenched together under the layers of jackets, repeating desperate prayers in her head over and over. _Dear God, please keep me safe from him. God, please don't let him hurt me._

Miley held her breath and listened closely to the noices from beyond the closet door. She heard a few shatters, and several loud thumps.

It was silent for a moment.

"Where the fuck is that little whore?" Ben screamed at himself.

Miley covered her mouth to keep from crying out.

"God DAMMIT!" he screamed. There was the sound of stomping and then an opening and slamming of a door. He was gone.

Like every other time, she tried to relax and the fear she'd been bottling up bubbled up and over the top. Miley began to shake uncontrollably, as if she were freezing. Tears dribbled down her cheek, but she made no effort to wipe them away.

Sitting in the closet, Miley was so wrapped up in her fright that she didn't hear the door swing open again and the foot steps lead to the closet.

The closet door swung open, surrounding her in light.

She looked up surprised and nearly screamed.

"Nick!" she cried, pulling him down to her level on the floor.

She studied him for a moment. "My God. You grew up".

He half grinned. "So did you". Just as quickly his face slid into concern. "Why are you hiding in the closet? What did he do to you?"

"How did you get into the apartment?"

Nick scratched his head. "It was unlocked".

Of course. Ben must have left it unlocked when he was storming out.

"Oh".

"Miley", he grabbed her shoulders. "What did he do to you?"

She shuddered, throat closing up. Very slowly she pulled the coats away from her, reavealing her scarred hands.

"Oh my God, Miley", Nick whispered, eyes wide. He carefully touched a burn that Ben had given her by pushing her into the stove. Dozens more covered her once flawless arms.

He closed his eyes and sighed a long sigh. She watched his face for a while.

"Show me your legs" he spoke finally.

She shook her head quickly. "NO"

"Miley, you have to show me what he did to you", he said sternly.

A tear slid down her face but she nodded. Miley stood up, and slowly slid off her sweatpants.

His face sunk. "Oh, Miley" he whispered.

Large ugly purple bruises covered her arms, cuts, and band-aids decorated the space that wasn't bruised, and rope burns tattooed whatever skin was left.

She felt tears bubbling up in her throat. "Nicky, he hurt me" she said wobbly and uneven.

"Oh, baby, I know. I know" He pulled her into her arms and she sobbed into his shoulder. "I know".

It was silent for a moment, and it was quiet. And then something broke that.

"You really are a whore, aren't you?"

MIley stiffened and looked up terrified into the wild eyes of Ben.


	11. Chapter 11

Once when Miley was little, her mother had taken her to the zoo once. She was a scrawny 6 year old with crooked teeth and freckles that dotted across her tiny nose. She'd worn her tangled curly brown hair in two ponytails on either side of her head that day, and her favorite pink and white checked dress.

Little Miley spent the day aweing at pandas, oohing at giraffes and eating hundreads of calories worth of snack foods. Halfway through the day, Miley decided she wanted to see the tigers. Holding a stick of pink cotton candy in her sticky hands, she and her mother followed the signs that led them to the tigers.

There they were, all decked out in stripes and fur. Miley was amazed by them, and even in her mind contemplated having one as a pet.

But then something happened.

The shouts of the zookeepers came first, and then suddenly a small deer darted into view. Miley watched in horror as it flashed in front of the tiger. The tiger roared and the next thing Miley knew, it was pinned on top of the lifeless deer, which now lay in a bloody heap on the ground. Naïve Miley had seen the whole thing. Several minutes later Miley threw up her cotton candy in the trashcan next to the woman's bathroom. That was the last time she'd ever gone to the zoo. She found it sickening to watch the stronger picking on the weak.

And now looking up into Ben's eyes, it was like she was at the zoo again. Except this time, she wasn't the bystander. She was on the other side of the fence. She was the deer. And Ben was the tiger.

But no. She revised the thought in her head and then thought it again. She wasn't just a lone dead deer. She was alive. And she had someone to protect her. She had Nick. Nick was the bull.

"I knew it you little bitch! You are a whore!" Ben cackled. Miley squeezed her eyes shut.

His face hardened. "I can believe you thought you could cheat on me and get away with it".

She shook her head quickly. "No, that's not-". But she was cut off, because Ben lunged for her and shoved her hard into the corner of the open closet door.

She whimped slightly and reached for her head.

"HEY! Get away from her!" Nick yelled jumping to his feet, and shoving Ben out of the closet doorway and into the bedroom behind him.

"Don't touch me!" Ben shouted back. He threw his fist forward to try to punch Nick, but Nick beat him to it. Pulling back his hand he swung his fist into Ben's face, sending Ben sprawling to the floor.

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH ME!" Ben roared and stumbled to his feet in his drunken rage, blood streaming out of his nose. He flung himself at Nick, knocking Nick to the ground, and landing on top of him.

After that, there was just a blur of wild punches, horrible cracking sounds and the eerie sounds of Miley screaming at them. "STOP!!!" She wailed, "I SWEAR TO GOD YOU'RE GOING TO KILL EACH OTHER! STOP, PLEASE!!"

Ben sighed after a few minutes and triumphantly got off an now silent and motionless Nick.

"Oh my God", Miley choked, "Oh my God, Ben, I think you killed him".

"shut the fuck up, bitch!" he yelled and jumped on top of her, winning a scream from Miley. And then a few gasps for air.

He grinned down at her. "How's it feel to not be able to breathe?"

Her eyes grew wider and more frightend with each passing moment.

"Stop struggling", Ben growled, as she squirmed underneath his heavy body. "In a few seconds you'll be dead, just like you're little friend".

In that split second, Miley's life flashed before her eyes. She saw images of her parents, that trip to the zoo when she was 6, photographs of she and Mikayla with acne and braces, that horrible night of prom, and lastly, Nick holding her close just moments ago.

And she realized something.

She wasn't about to let someone kill her. Let alone Ben.

With as much strength as she could muster, she kicked him in the groin as hard as possible.

"FUCK!" he cried and rolled off of her. Taking a quick deep breath, Miley, although she was weak, got to her feet, gave Nick a fleeting look, and then ran out into the streets of New York.

"HELP!" she screamed. "HELP, MY FRIEND IS DEAD!" This was the only was she could think of to get someone in New York City to pay attention to her. "MY FRIEND IS DEAD IN MY APARTMENT! HELP!"

She looked up and down the busy streets frantically as she screeched on an on. People gave her odd glances and would dismiss it.

Miley let out a small cry. Who in this big city was going to help her? And what if they were too late?


	12. Chapter 12

_Dear Miley,_

_ Listen I don't know what's going on but Nick wrote to me. He said you were in trouble and he was going to find you. I guess you gave him your address or something, but he told me he was leaving tomorrow for New York City. I guess that's where you live?_

_ He also sent me your address and said to come if he didn't write me by December 1, then to come find you._

_ It's December 4 and there's no word from him. I'm coming to find you Miley. I'll see you seen._

_Mikayla_

The letter had arrived two days prior to the date and it had sat unread on top of Miley's TV in her apartment. She'd been too busy cleaning up her home from Ben's last drunken tantrum to take the time to open the letter. She'd told herself she'd read it later but after the day it came, she'd sort of forgotten about it. That's why the voice that called her name next surprised her so much.

"Miley?"

Miley's breath caught in her throat. That voice…it sounded like…no, it couldn't be.

She whirled around and locked eyes with the person she'd loathed, loved, missed, and had never expected to ever see again.

"_Mikayla_"? She called, breathless, "Is that you?"

Mikayla didn't respond. Instead she rushed over and knelt by Nick. "Miley, what happened to Nick?!"

"He's hurt. Bad. Really bad. He needs to get to a hospital. I just came out here to see if I could find someone who could help me but there was no one. And then you showed up and—"A few tears trickled down her cheeks but Mikayla apparently was not feeling sympathetic.

"What the hell are you doing? Stop your crying and help me get Nick into my car".

Miley was taken aback but she swallowed her sorrows and lifted Nick's upper body up with her thin arms. Mikayla hoisted up his legs and without saying a word, she hurried as quickly as she could to her car. Some how with her foot, she managed to open the door and the girls slid Nick's lifeless body into the backseat.

"Get in and sit with him", Mikayla ordered Miley, "I'll drive".

"Uh, no", Miley shot back, "You don't even know where the hospital is. So you sit with him, and I'll drive".

A bit crestfallen, Mikayla opened and closed her mouth once and then quickly got into the backseat with Nick, placing his head on her lap.

Miley rolled her eyes, and ran around to the other side of the car and hopped into the driver's seat, starting the ignition.

_Dear God, please let Nick make it to the hospital, please, please, please…_

~*~

Miley hated hospitals. Absolutely, purely loathed them. She hated that everything was white, and sterile, and smelled like cleanliness. She hated the beeping and the blinking lights and most of all she hated the false hope. They gave you so much hope that whoever it was that you loved that was in the hospital would be okay, and then their reassurance fell through and you turned out broken inside.

She'd been waiting outside Nick's room for at least three hours, silently sitting next to an equally quiet Mikayla. She couldn't stand it. The tension built up in her chest, her throat grew tight and her stomach knotted a little tighter until finally, she snapped.

"Hey, Mikayla?"

Mikayla turned, questioningly.

"You want to tell me why you made my high school life living hell? I know I screwed up once, but was it necessary to destroy me. Damnit, you made me miserable! Because of you, I was the school slut, the bitch, the backstabber. Why did you take back Nick and not your best friend? Not that you really returned the feeling. Frankly, you were probably the worst friend I had then! All you talked about was yourself, you made fun of me, you got other people to make fun of me, and you tried to tell me what to do, how to dress, and talk. God, you even tried to tell me who to hang out with! What the hell was the matter with you? I have been living with this guilt on my chest for years and I think it's time I get an answer from you! Why did you drop me? Why did you treat me so shitty? And don't say you don't know, because I can see in your eyes, that you bloody fucking do!"

She yelled the last part and took a big breath. People were staring at her, but she didn't care.

Mikayla was still staring at her with those big, glistening black eyes. Miley glared right back into them. She felt better now. She'd gotten it off her chest. Now she just needed an answer.

After a few minutes, Mikayla finally sighed and looked away. "Well, it's not much but to be honest I was a bitch in high school. You obviously know that since you just pointed it out".

Miley blushed slightly but did not lose her stance.

"I was jealous of you, okay?" Mikayla looked away quickly.

Miley's mouth fell open slightly. "uh…what?"

"I was jealous of you. I mean, everyone liked you cause you were so nice and funny, you could sing and play guitar, you had a great family, and like, all the guys loved you! Even Nick! Miley, I was so hell-bent on making sure I one-upped you everytime something good happened to you, I forgot I was your friend. I know that's no excuse for what I did, and it's totally selfish, but it's the honest-to-God truth. I'm sorry. I really am. You were and are a much better person, then I'll ever be and I ruined it. I'm so sorry. I ruined--"

She stopped speaking when someone's arms wrapped around her tightly. It was Miley. Hugging her. Mikayla smiled to herself and threw her arms around Miley.

"It's okay, Mikayla", Miley said quietly, "I forgive you".

Even as she was smiling, she felt something wet on her cheeks. "Damnit, I'm crying" Mikayla laughed weakly. Miley smiled to. She felt a little stronger. Like someone had just given her back a little piece of her heart. It wasn't so heavy anymore.

"Friends?" Mikayla said sticking out her hand.

Miley glanced at her hand, and nodded. "Friends", she grinned and shook Mikayla's hand.

"Grey?"

Miley and Mikayla looked at each other. "You go", Mikayla whispered, "You deserve it".

"Thanks", Miley smiled softly and then stood up. "Um yes doctor?"

"Hello, you must be Nicholas's sister, correct?"

"Uh, right"

The doctor eyed her suspiciously and then looked at his clipboard. "Nicholas has woken up, so you can go in and see him now…Miss Jonas".

"Um yeah". Miley quickly rushed by him and into the room.

"Nick?" she said quietly. When her eyes found him, the sobs swelled up in her throat again.

She ran over to him and threw her arms around him. "Nicky, I'm sorry".

She didn't expect him to move, so the touch of his soft hand on her arm, scared her, and she jumped away.

"Hi", he croaked softly, and smiled.

"Nick", she started, "I—"

"Shh" he breathed, "Come here".

She came over and sat on the edge of his bed. He took her hands in his and looked at her.

"I love you, Miley Ray Stewart. I have loved you since I've met you. I loved you when you ruined my shirt, I loved you when you found me at that party back in high school, and I loved you, even after I moved away from that town. I thought I could escape the memories, but it just hurt more. I love you now, and I swear to you, I will never stop loving you. This is probably the cheesiest thing I've ever said, but it's the most honest I've ever been with anyone. Miley, I just…no matter where I go, I can't seem to forget you. I'm sorry for what I did. I was wrong. But I'm…", he stopped and inhaled, "I'm in love with you".

She knew she should turn him away. She knew he deserved to be hurt and told that he was wrong. She also knew that he deserved to be loved. In the short time, he'd been with her, he'd made up for his faults. He'd come from way up in the mountains to save her. Without him, she wasn't sure she'd be living right then.

"Nick…" she leaned down and pressed her lips against his. She fell into the kiss making it deeper. As each moment passed, the holes in her heart slowly filled. She hadn't felt so at home in a long, long time. And she savored every second of it.

The door opened. Miley quickly jumped away, her cheeks turned bright red. There stood the doctor. "Uh…sorry". He shut the door behind him and Miley burst out laughing.

"What is it?" Nick asked shaking her arm.

She caught her breath finally and smiled, "It's just…I told him I was your sister".

Understanding, Nick's eyes lit up and the he joined in with her laughing.

Somewhere in the giggles, there lips met again. Miley's happiness had fiilled to the brim and had spilled right over. It was the best feeling in the word. And she wouldn't give it up for anything.

**One more chapter after this! It's going to be an epilogue. As I was writing this I got a new idea for a fanfic and I'm really excited to write it…so thanks for reading guys! I love you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Just let me say that I love you guys SOOO much! I can't believe the feedback on the last chapter. THANKS SO MUCH!**

**Last chapter :( I already have a new idea for my next story so…stay tuned haha**

_**EPILOUGE:**_

There was a scent of vanilla that floated around the house. The likely cause of this was the new Vanilla Spice candle that Miley had placed in the middle of the kitchen table earlier that morning. The stereo was cranked up to the highest volume and docked on it was a blue ipod playing a playlist filled with Maroon 5, James Blunt, Radiohead, Regina Specktor, and John Mayer. And then there was Miley, grown tall and beautiful, with her cascading waves pulled out of her face into a low ponytail, singing along to the music while she strained the pasta.

"Look for the girl with the broken smile! Ask her if she wants to stay a while and she WILLLLL be loved!!! And she WILLLL be loved!" Miley belted.

"Hey there, Beautiful", a voice said behind her, and when Miley turned, her cheeks reddened when she found Nick behind her.

"I, uh…I thought you were taking Grace to the grocery store", she stumbled.

He chuckled. "We came back early".

"Well, where's she now?"

"Mikayla took her to a movie and then there coming back here afterwards".

"Oh", she said shortly and turned back to the pasta.

"So why aren't you dressed yet? Your guests will be here in about an hour" Nick asked, venturing further into the kitchen.

"I had to finish making the pasta", she said nodding towards the limp spaghetti.

"I'll do it", he grinned, and he kissed her. Though it was quick, it was enough to leave Miley breathless.

"Thanks", she grinned at him, and headed into their bedroom. As she passed by her mirror, her wedding ring sparkled in the reflection. She smiled at it. It was the best gift Nick had ever given her.

~*~

Voices and laughter overpowered the sweet sounds of Billy Joel in the background, and the smile on Miley's face was genuine as Nick slipped his arm around her waist. "You look beautiful", he whispered in her ear. She replied with a kiss on his cheek and then led him over to Mikayla and her husband Joey.  
So far Miley's dress had been a hit. It was made of a soft violet fabric and fell just below above her knees in a bubble skirt. The strapless top left room on her neck for the diamond necklace Nick had given her last Christmas.

"Mickey!", Miley called to Mikayla, and hugged her friend tightly. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Mikayla smiled.

"How was Italy?" Nick conversationalized.

"Beautiful", Joey responded, with his caramel-smooth voice.

"Miley!"

Miley turned to find a very tall Taylor in front of her. "Taylor, hey!"

She hugged her curly-headed friend, and smiled. "How have you been?"

"Fantastic", she grinned a toothy smile. "And I see you've been doing well too. I've met your little Grace".

As she said this, a little girl's tiny face peeped out from behind Taylor's legs. "Mommy!"

"Grace, baby", Miley picked her daughter up and kissed her cheek. "I love you sweetie".

Grace blew a kiss to Miley. She looked just like Nick.

"Excuse me, everyone, can I have your attention please?" Nick called. Everyone finished their conversations and turned to Nick. Just the Way You Are", by Billy Joel, played quietly.

"I just wanted to say happy birthday to the love of my life, Miley Ray. I loved you from the day I met you, and I will never ever stop loving you"

The room erupted in awws and Miley ran to Nick and threw a kiss on his lips.

"I love you sweetie". Nick grinned.

She kissed him again. She couldn't think of any other way to tell him how much she loved him too.


End file.
